Introduction – How to Become a Digital Marketer in 2024
In today’s world, how to become a digital marketer is not just about the traditional methods of advertisements or word-of-mouth referrals. During the Covid Era, as more Businesses have gone online and now operating in a fickle online world, digital marketing is a vital art to learn. But the main question arises, where do you start?
In this blog, we will introduce you to a structured, step-by-step approach to learning and implementing digital marketing. Each step is designed to help you navigate effectively, teaching you how to understand the basics, choose a niche, gain real-world experience, and build a strong portfolio. Whether you are aiming to land a high-paying job or want to start your freelancing journey, this roadmap will provide you with the knowledge and strategies you need to excel in the digital marketing space.
Let’s Dive into it.
Step 1: Understanding the Basics of Digital Marketing: Types and Keywords
To understand the basics of digital marketing we need to understand the types of digital marketing which includes organic and paid, apart from this we also need to know about the different types of keywords. The goal here is to gain as much basic knowledge as possible so that if someone asks you about digital marketing you can answer them confidently.
It is important to understand the current trends affecting the marketing industry. However, it is quite difficult to keep up with all the trends as digital marketing is a dynamic concept that is quite overwhelming.
To get a deeper insight you may need to research the new arrivals in digital marketing by reading marketing blogs and online course platforms like Hubspot which offers various other tools for aspiring digital marketers like annual marketing reports for free, subscribing to daily new papers, using platforms like YouTube, etc.
The internet is full of information, use it to understand marketing tips and trends.
Step 2: Why SEO should be your top digital marketing skill for maximum ROI
For the next step, you may need to choose a niche and build your expertise for more ROI. For example – In a report by Hubspot, they talk about which area of digital marketing is generating the highest ROI for businesses. In 2020, SEO was one of the top skills required for online businesses to thrive as more businesses transitioned online.
So depending on your own interest which you enjoy the most, Just pick one of the fields. It doesn’t have to be SEO or Paid Ads, It could be as simple as Canva design or as complex as Search Engine Optimization.
Choose one of the areas you are really interested in. Always understand that it is all about interest, you don’t have to do something you don’t like, so just choose an area where you enjoy learning and working. It can be SEO, LinkedIn optimization, social media content, paid advertising or any other.
Step 3: Unlock your marketing potential: How to choose and master your niche
Once you choose your topic, start learning about it and try to become as good as you can. You can use the internet which is a free tool to boost your learning process. Platforms like YouTube and Udemy can be helpful for your learning journey. Neil Patel has a great blog about digital marketing, and Seth Godin writes daily about marketing in general, which will give you more perspective on why marketing is important and how to become a Digital Marketer.
Research YouTube for terms like search engine optimization course, LinkedIn marketing strategies course, YouTube marketing course, or Instagram growth strategy. You will find amazing courses that will help you learn for free.
Just be careful about who you learn from. There is a lot of talk on YouTube about what you can and cannot do in digital marketing. Choose experts with high experience in your chosen field.
Just because someone has a lot of subscribers doesn’t mean they are the right one. Someone with a few thousand subscribers might be sharing more valuable content. So, always keep this in mind—there is a lot of advice, there is a lot of noise. Choose the right signals.
Along with that, create an account on x and try to read at least 10 threads a day about case studies and digital marketing and you will be surprised how much you can learn in a month.
But taking notes while learning is equally important. Write down what you learn using software like Notion or Evernote because our brains aren’t that good at storing information. Document case studies, specific strategies, and insights. By doing this consistently for the next 90 days, you’ve created a whole directory — a second brain you can reference whenever you need it.
Step 4: Boost your marketing portfolio: How to get projects and internships in the world of digital marketing
After learning everything, it is equally important to implement what you have learned. You can do this easily by working on a project – whether it is your own project or that of a company. For example, I went on AngelList and found a company that hired me for ₹5,000 per month to help them run Facebook ads. I didn’t care about the money – I wanted to apply my learnings, test my strategies and see how effective my thought process was.
Of course, don’t work for free, but focus on moving forward through internships and projects.
Work with an e-commerce company to learn about landing page conversion and optimization. Work with a content creator to optimize their LinkedIn posts and increase reach. These projects will help you build your case studies.
When creating a case study, focus on numbers. Every project, internship, or campaign will have some metrics, including what was the ROAS? How much was invested? How much profit was generated? And how many sales were made?
Whether it’s impressions, views, CPV, or CPL—track those numbers and include them in your case study.
Whenever companies hire a digital marketer, they want to see the impact and ROI. So, They will ask:
What did you generate for the last business you worked with?
What were the results?
Show us the numbers.
Remember the essence of a great digital marketing portfolio includes highlighting the projects you worked on, what impact you created, and the key learnings from each project.
Once you’ve gained enough experience working on a few internships and have built your portfolio with case studies featuring your projects, it’s time for the next step.
Step 5: After all 4 steps, It is time to start applying for full-time jobs or working as a Freelancer.
Why freelancing? Because it is often easier to get a short-term project than a full-time job. Companies hiring for full-time roles look at degrees and experience, but as a freelancer, you can be hired based on your case studies and results.
Start applying for opportunities on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms. Reach out to companies with a structured approach. Create a funnel just like in marketing.
Find companies you want to work with, get their emails using tools like Apollo or Hunter, and reach out to them with your portfolio and suggestions for improving their marketing strategy.
Track responses in an Excel sheet, follow up and go on calls with potential clients.
When pitching, don’t just focus on deliverables like “I will create 12 videos per month.” Instead, talk in terms of ROI—how will you help them increase revenue, lower acquisition costs, or improve conversions?
For example: “I can help you reduce CAC from ₹20 to ₹5 through organic YouTube content.” This makes your value measurable, making companies more willing to hire you.
If you’re still having trouble finding opportunities, start attending networking events – especially in places like Bangalore, where startup and marketing events are frequent. Networking will open up more opportunities.
Step 6: The last step is upgrading yourself.
Keep learning and growing your skills. Start sharing your insights publicly. Create case studies on trending marketing campaigns.
For example, the Ambani wedding generated massive digital engagement – a great PR and marketing case study. Talk about it. Explain it in detail.
Sharing your experiences publicly will help you build authority in the field, attract opportunities, and grow as a marketer.
The main thing is to never settle. The first few jobs may not be ideal, but keep learning, networking and building your brand. Better opportunities will come your way.